Savoury yoghurt kebabs and basil chutney

These yoghurt kebabs are absolutely delicious and are easy to make with simple everyday ingredients (gram flour is a must in all vegetarian households!). They are soft and creamy on the inside but have a lovely crisp exterior. They are generally made with yoghurt that has been drained overnight so that it becomes thick and almost cheesy and is then bound with a little paneer (Indian white cheese). They are really versatile and can be eaten as they are, dipped in a little basil chutney or served with a lightly dressed salad.

Credit: Anjum's Australian Spice Stories

• makes

  10-12

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 30 g gram flour
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for pan frying
• ½ brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 10 g piece peeled ginger, finely chopped
• ¾ tsp garam masala, or to taste
• ½ tsp roasted ground cumin
• 250 g (1 cup) thick Greek yoghurt
• 30 g mature Cheddar cheese, finely grated
• ⅓ small red capsicum (pepper), deseeded and peeled, finely chopped
• ½-1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped (optional) chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
• 2 slices white bread, crumbed
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Basil chutney

• 1 bunch basil, leaves picked and washed
• 2 large handfuls coriander leaves and stalks
• 20 shelled unsalted pistachios
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled
• 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4-5 tsp lemon juice, or to taste

Instructions

Place the gram flour in a non-stick frying pan and dry roast over low heat, stirring often for 4-5 minutes or until the gram flour has a lovely toasted smell and turns a golden colour. Pour into a large bowl.

Wipe the pan clean, add 1 tablespoon of the oil over low-medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and lightly caramelised on the edges. Add the garlic, ginger and salt and cook for 40-50 seconds or until it no longer smells of raw garlic. Stir in the garam masala and cumin, remove from the heat and add to the gram flour along with the yoghurt, cheese, capsicum, chilli and three quarters of the breadcrumbs. Stir well to combine and season to taste. It should be creamy but firm enough to roll into little balls. If not you will need to add some more breadcrumbs.

To make the chutney, place all the ingredients in a blender, season to taste and process until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon water or just enough to make a thick creamy chutney.

Heat 5 mm oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Shape the mixture into small balls and flatten slightly. When the oil is hot, add one third of the kebabs, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden and crisp on both sides. Drain on paper towel, then serve hot with basil chutney.

Anjum's Australian Spice Stories starts Monday 4 April 2016 on Food Network Australia. Visit the program page for recipes and more.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.